Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Off the Grid: Now Open!

I will be writing soon about my amazing trip to Chicago (and Milwaukee!), but for now I just wanted to share the news that my guest-curated exhibition "Off the Grid: Beyond the Noise" at the Atlantic Gallery (last blogged about here) has opened today. You see here two installation views I photographed today. The official opening reception is this Thursday, July 10th, from 5-8pm.

The art work in the show is in a variety of media: painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, and drawings. Most, but not all, of the 28 artists are based in the larger NYC area. They include Mayen Alcantara, Nick Arcidy, Niki Berg, Joseph Cavalieri, Andrea Costantini, Lilian Engel, Amanda Fehring, Meryl Salzinger, among others. In selecting the works for the exhibition, I based my decisions on how the artists' submissions responded and reacted to the themes of the grid and noise. Here is my curatorial statement, which will be available to visitors to read when they enter the gallery. The exhibition is on until July 26th at the Atlantic Gallery.

GRID

a series of measured
perpendicular lines

a geometric
arrangement for mapping and plotting points

a logical algorithm
to enforce harmony, standardization, and authority

NOISE

Grids are everywhere. They can be
found in reams of paper made for penmanship and drafting. Electrical grids
channel bolts of energy that power the insomnia that is New York City. There
are monochromatic grids in the paintings of Agnes Martin, and Marilyn-head grids
in the screen prints of Andy Warhol. Technological grids operate iPhones and Androids,
keeping us wired, day and night. Grids imply perfection and control; but what
is perfection and who is in control? Dare we move off the grid…go beyond the
noise?

The group exhibition Off the Grid: Beyond the Noise brings together twenty-eight artists
whose creative visions engage with or reject grids and noise. The art works on
display include paintings, sculptures, collages, prints, photographs, and works
in multiple media. Some artists use figurative art and nature to tell their
story. Others let line and color convey their abstract thoughts. Still others
experiment with new media and techniques. Together these artists share their
unique interpretations of the exhibition’s theme, each of them searching for ways
to move off the grid and go beyond the noise.

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about me

I'm a writer, art historian, curator, and librarian. My colorful career past has included stints as an adjunct professor, bird handler, disc jockey, fortune teller, pianist, and receptionist. I hold a PhD in art history, and an MLS degree. I am currently employed at Columbia University, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, as the Curator of Art Properties. Anything that appears on this blog represents my own personal opinions and thoughts, and is in no way affiliated with or represents Columbia and its students, faculty, and staff. And I am now, most definitely, a happily partnered GWM.